There are nine states in the Northeast Region: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe

Brazil’s tropical playground is an area known as the Northeast that encompasses nine states that between them cover an area larger than the UK, Germany, France and Italy combined.

The Northeast, all of which is located in the Tropics, is a paradise for travellers in search of perfect beaches, equally perfect weather and dramatic landscapes, all touched by culture, history, culinary delights and folklore. It is also the closest part of Brazil to Europe, closer than even the Caribbean, thanks to direct flights.

The Northeast development has been rapid for tourism, and investment in the past decade has resulted in greatly improved access to the region by both air and road. The accommodation now ranges from modern deluxe resort properties and brand hotels to luxury privately owned boutique hotels and pousadas.

There is a lot to see and experience in the Northeast of Brazil. Beautiful tropical beaches are a given and are spread over 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometres) from the south of Bahia to the north of Ceará by way of Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, and Rio Grande do Norte. Along the coast, visitors will come across beautifully preserved colonial towns and cities – many of them UNESCO World Heritage sites - that have developed and grown since the first Europeans landed in Brazil in 1500. Some examples are Porto Seguro, Salvador, Marechal Deodoro, Olinda, Recife, João Pessoa (located close to the easternmost point of the Americas), Natal, Fortaleza, and São Luís.

The Northeast is also synonymous with exotic flavours and vibrant colours. Music, dance, folklore, religion and regional culinary pleasures all abound, with as many different delicacies on offer as there are states and accents.

The region has some of Brazil’s most dramatic scenery that includes the Chapada Diamantina in the interior of Bahia; the São Francisco River, which cuts across the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Sergipe; the picture-postcard beauty of Jericoacoara Beach in Ceará; Piauí’s Serra da Capivara, the oldest archaeological site in the Americas; the Valley of the Dinosaurs in Paraíba, with its clearly visible dinosaur tracks; and the breathtaking Lençóis Maranhenses of Maranhão, a great desert spread like an immense bed sheet which rolls back inland from the Atlantic coast for nearly 30 miles (50 kilometres) and is dotted with thousands of crystal clear lakes. There is also the archipelagos of Fernando de Noronha, an ecological reserve belonging to the state of Pernambuco, and Abrolhos, off the southern tip of Bahia, that are considered among the best dive sites in the world.